Oil Lamp in the Form of a Sphinx
mid-16th century
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
confirmed: 4 7/8 × 2 3/8 × 5 3/4 in., 1.9 lb. (12.4 × 6 × 14.6 cm, 0.9 kg)
Classification
Sculpture-Bronze
Culture
Italian, Padua
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1911
Accession Number
11.38.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Oil Lamp in the Form a Sphinx*, a masterful bronze sculpture crafted by Andreariosco, known ascio, in mid-16th-century Pad, Italy. Measuring just 4 7/8 × 2 3/8 × 5 3/4 inches, this diminutive yet captivating piece transforms a humble oil lamp into a mythical guardian, its sphinx form evoking the enigmatic creatures of ancient Egyptian and Greek lore—half-human, half-lion symbols of riddles and protection. Riccio, a leading figure in the Paduan Renaissance excelled in small-scale bronzes, often drawing from classical antiquity to blend intricate detailing with whimsical grotesques....
About the Artist
Andrea Briosco, called Riccio · 1470–1532
Andrea Briosco, better known by his nickname Riccio ("curly-headed"), was born around 1470 in Padua, the vibrant intellectual hub of Renaissance northern Italy, and died there in 1532. The son of goldsmith Ambrogio di Cristoforo Briosco, he received his initial training in his father's workshop, mastering the delicate techniques of metalwork essential for his future mastery of bronze. Riccio then ...